February APS Family Newsletter

Dear Arlington Public Schools Families,

Happy February! This month we celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of all those who have shown bravery and resilience in leading the fight for freedom in this country. We also celebrate all the great things happening in our schools and the many opportunities for our families to get involved. Please see this jam packed newsletter for wonderful resources and news regarding APS.

Sincerely,

Dr. Elizabeth C. Homan

Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools

Dr. Homan will be holding a Mid-Year Update via Zoom for all APS community members. Tune in on March 27th at 7:00PM to hear updates on the district's progress on the Five Year Strategic Plan, Panorama Data, building updates, and many other topics. Please use the link below to submit questions you have for the district.

The School Committee and Superintendent's Office would like families' feedback on the start date for the 2026-27 School Calendar. Specifically, we are considering starting the school year before Labor Day due to the late date for Labor Day that school year, and as allowed by our employee agreements. Please choose from one of the poll options below to share your perspective:

Please feel free to view the calendars below. Both the calendars for school year 2024-2025 & 2025-2026 have already been approved. The 2026-2027 calendar is still a draft and we are seeking your input on this calendar.

February vacation is just a few weeks away! A break from school also means a break from free school meals that many families rely on. To help bridge that gap, Arlington EATS will be offering free pre-packed bags of groceries to any family with kids in Arlington schools in need of food support over the break. Vacation lunch bags filled with nutritious, easy to prepare, kid-friendly foods are available to pick up on Thursday, February 15 at Arlington EATS, 117 Broadway. Please use this form to sign up for vacation lunch support from Arlington EATS by February 6 or call 339-707-6757 ext. 6 to find out more.

Last Call! Annual Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Survey: Arlington's SEPAC is seeking input from Arlington parents and caregivers around their experiences with special education in the district in the past year. The survey will be closing later this month. Please help the SEPAC to understand and advocate for the needs of students and families by completing the annual SEPAC survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEeVqxdx_bU2g8F05u2WrWDX00naRmKdzw0DnCMjs9DWbKnQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

SEPAC Business Meeting: Join SEPAC on zoom for our monthly business meeting on February 13th at 7:30PM. On the agenda - Ben Whidden from Partners for Youth with Disabilities will provide information on their programming for transition-aged youth, and Dr. Janger will be on hand to let us know what's going on at the high school. All are welcome to attend. Use this link to join the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86234778319?pwd=ZDFPdDNZZjZxbXVwNUYyZDR1VjJsUT09

Summer Fun registration opens February 7th! Many classes fill fast so preview the catalog now to be ready for opening day. SummerFun runs July 8-August 16 at Arlington High School and serves children in grades 1-12. With classes in arts & crafts, cooking, fitness, games, music, theater, dance, STEAM, and more, there is something for everyone. Find out more about SummerFun!

• Half-day or full-day
• One week or up to all six
• Morning & afternoon extended day
• Small class sizes
• Brand new building with A/C!

Registrations must be made online. Please create an account in our registration system, if you have not done so already. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying Arlington families. To be prepared to register on opening day please submit your tuition assistance application by Friday, February 2nd.

Highlighting school events from the previous month

Working Groups play a pivotal role in helping us carry out the ideals in our strategic plan so that we are actively working toward our goals. Thank you to everyone who has served on any of the various working groups. Your dedication and commitment to APS is valued and greatly appreciated. You can find the members of our working groups here as well as the facilitators of each group.

The entire Gibbs community gathered to learn about the upcoming Overnight Experience at Nature’s Classroom by the nature’s class team. Students and teachers are excited about the opportunity to engage in this rich learning experience.

3rd-5th grade students at the Hardy recently held their winter concert in the cafeteria. Students sang beautifully and spoke wonderfully during this jam packed event. The chorus was under the direction of Mrs. Kristin Deming. Special thanks to all parents and caregivers who supported Hardy students, as well as the Director of Performing Arts, Jing-Huey Wei.

The Arlington Education Foundation Innovation Showcase was an evening of inspiration and celebration as grant recipients highlighted their creative projects happening throughout the Arlington Public Schools. The event was held at Punjab with Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Mona Ford Walker as the Guest Speaker

Join us for a School Committee Chat on February 27 @ 9 a.m., held remotely via Zoom.

The topic for discussion this month is Special Education; members of the administration will join members of the school committee to hear from the community and answer questions when possible.

Please join us for our bi-weekly regular meeting that will be held in person at the District Offices in the School Committee Room located at 14 Mill Brook Drive Arlington and online via Zoom or on ACMi at 6:30PM on the following dates:

• Thursday February 8th 6:30PM
• Thursday February 29th 6:30PM

All members of the school district community have the opportunity to address the School Committee on issues that affect the school district and are within the scope of the Committee's responsibilities during the Public Comment portion of the School Committee Meeting and/or through written correspondence to the Members. For full school committee calendar and more information please visit the School Committee Website. If you have any questions please contact Liz Diggins via email ediggins@arlington.k12.ma.us.

• Feb. 2nd - Groundhog Day

• Feb. 5-9th - National School Counselors' Week
• Feb. 7th - Early Release for all Schools
• Feb. 8th - Regular School Committee Meeting
• Feb. 10th - Lunar New Year
• Feb. 15th - National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day
• Feb. 19th-23rd - February Break: NO SCHOOL
• Feb. 27th - School Committee Chat
  
• Feb. 29th - Regular School Committee Meeting

Curated by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice

Black History Month

February Observances

Resources and opportunities for families to engage in continued learning

Arlington Public Schools is committed to supporting all families with their student's attendance to school. Families and school collaboration can boost students' attendance significantly. Families can reinforce the importance of regular attendance, set routines, and provide the necessary encouragement. Families can also give their child's school valuable insights into their child's individual needs and challenges, allowing for more tailored support. By working together, families and schools can identify and address attendance issues promptly, promoting a culture where attendance is viewed as a shared responsibility.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Family Engagement web page provides information about numerous resources and supports available to districts, schools, and families. Massachusetts defines chronically absent as missing at least 10 percent of days enrolled (for instance, 18 days absent if enrolled for a typical school year of 180 days), regardless of the reason for the absence. Being chronically absent can have a significant impact on a student's academic progress and their ability to access the variety of academic and non-academic supports that schools provide. Chronic absenteeism grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and, as of the 2022-23 school year, had not returned to pre-pandemic rates. Almost 1 in 4 Massachusetts students missed 18 or more days of school in 2022-23. APS has developed a task force including district leaders and educators to support families with their student's attendance to school.

Earlier this year Arlington Public Schools was awarded a Mental Health Awareness Training Grant to support FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid training to any APS staff member, caregiver, and community member within the Arlington community.

What is Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)?

An evidence- and skills-based training for adults (18+) who frequently interact with youth. YMHFA provides the tools a layperson needs to identify, understand, and respond to an adolescent who may be experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. Upon training completion, participants will be awarded a YMHFA certification.

What will I learn?

Common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges in adolescents 5-step action plan to recognize and respond to youth in crisis and non-crisis situations How to refer a youth to the appropriate professional support services Increase your mental health literacy, become more confident when helping a young person in distress, and act as a valuable link to early intervention.

Click Here for more information or to register.

Guiding Good Choices (GGC) offers techniques and tools to help parents improve communication with their children; develop healthy family values and clear behavioral expectations; control and express anger constructively; strengthen family bonds and trust; and prevent children from engaging in substance use and other risky behaviors.

Spring Series: Wednesday nights (3/6 , 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10 ) from 6:30-8:30pm on Zoom

Join our FREE workshops for parents and caregivers of children ages 9-14. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED, Register here: https://forms.gle/gxjgyUP5N1MBnHKS7

Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce that, as a benefit of membership, we are offering new programs. We have added a new Parent Solutions Quick Video Library, a useful resource about raising children and teens in these difficult times. Videos have a range of topics and age appropriate resources.

APS partners with Cartwheel to provide mental health services to all APS community members! Sign up here to receive emails about Cartwheel's webinars, including registration links and recordings. Our webinars empower caregivers, family members, and school staff in the districts we serve with practical and actionable information on mental health topics affecting youth and families today.

Upcoming Webinars:

February 6th at 7:00 p.m. - Understanding OCD and tic disorders in children and adolescents

March 7th at 7:00 p.m.- Breaking generational cycles: Rewriting parenting patterns

The APS Family Welcome & Resource Center is open and supporting the needs of families with enrollment, engagement, connecting with resources, and making referrals to local agencies as needed. Over the February break, the Welcome Center will be closed Monday 2/19/2024 through 2/23/2024. Regular hours are Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. View the flyer below in other languages here.

The School News app by Edlio is an activity feed for alerts, news, and events from APS. It’s a simple way to view the school news feeds and calendars. The app is free to download to your iOS or Android phone and quick to set up:

• Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “School News by Edlio” to install.
• Open the app and search for Arlington Public Schools; tap “Add School.”
• Enable push notification by going to the Alerts tab and tapping “Enable Notifications.”

The Harvard School of Dental Medicine is happy to announce Give Kids a Smile Day 2024, an event offering free dental care to children ages 1-17.

What: Free dental care to kids ages 1-17

When: Sat, February 3rd, 9AM-12PM

Where: Harvard Dental Center (188 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115). Parking available at the school for scheduled appointments.

How do I sign up?

Go to: https://forms.office.com/r/FtAepuw3T2 or Call (617) 432-1434

To register and see flyers in Chinese, Creole, Spanish or Portuguese, visit https://loom.ly/da7QLOc.

See the flier below for an exciting opportunity for local teens.

The Arlington Human Rights Commission & the Arlington Rainbow Commission proudly present A Day of Learning, focused on building welcoming communities. Please see the flier below for more information on this free event. RSVP Here for the event.